Fisher



(No Model.)

B. G. FISHER.

VENDING APPARATUS. No. 451,472. Patented May 5,1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND G. FISHER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGN OR TO THE FISHER SPECIALTY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MINNESOTA.

VENDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 451,472, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed July 28, 1890- Serial No. 360,173- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND G. FISHER, of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, and State of Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements in Vending Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of vending apparatus used for supplying a given quantity of liquid to a person who drops a coin of a given value into the machine.

The objects of my invention are to provide an apparatus which will measure off and furnish an exact quantity of liquid, which may be operated by the purchaser, after the manner of an ordinary faucet, after dropping in the coin, and which will be extremely simple and economical in construction.

My invention consists in a small tank of a limited capacity connected with a large supply-tank and having a suitable valve in said connection, a discharge-faucet connected with the bottom of said small tank, and means for operating said valve and faucet alternately, which consists in two disks provided with opposite slots in which the coin is adapted to temporarily form a tenon, whereby the two are connected to turn the faucet-plug, and a cam adapted to operate said valve in the supply-connection.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawin gs, in which- Figure 1 is a verticalsectional view of a slot-machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, the top of the case being removed. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the valve-operation mechanism, taken upon line 00 a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of a portion of the valve-operating device. Fig. 5 is a detail plan View showing the coin-disk. Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the cam. Fig. 7 is a sectional plan View of the outlet-faucet, taken on line y y of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 2 represents the small tank having a limited capacity. In connection with the tank 2 is a large tube 3, leading into the supply-tank 4. The disk-valve 5 is provided upon the spindle 6 and rests lightly upon the disk 7, which is screwed upon the end of the tube, as shown, thus securing the whole device firmly to the side of the large tank 4:. A faucet 8 is connected with the bottom of the small tank 2, through which the liquid from said tank is discharged into the cup in the purchasers hand. Several ribs 9 extend radially from the spindle 6 and the disk-valve 5. These hold the disk and spindle centrally in the tube The spring 10, bearing against the cross-pin 11 in the spindle 6 and the stops 12 in the tube 3, serves to normally close the disk upon its seat 7. The spindle 6 extends through a suitable watertight packing-box 13 in the side of the tank 2, and abuts against the cam 14, forming a part of the valve-stem 15. This valve-stem 15 is attached securely to the plug 16 of the faucet 8, which is of the common form. The cam let is so placed that upon turning stem 15 in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 6 the disk-valve 5 will be opened and the faucet closed, while on turning back the stem the opposite will take place.

Now if a handle were fixed to the stem 15 the valve might be operated by any one to first let in the liquid into the tank 2, and then by turning back the handle receive the water from the faucet; but as it is desired that only those who pay the price of the glass of liquid should operate the device means must be provided whereby the valves maybe operated only by dropping a coin of a given value into the box containing the valve and small tank. For this purpose I have devised the coin-disk 17, secured to the shaft 18 of the handle 19 and resting upon the upper surface of the lower disk 20, forming the'top of the stem 15. The shaft 18 extends down into the stem 15, as shown, to give rigidity to the whole' device, but is not fast therein.

The disk 17 is provided with the slot 21 in one side thereof. This slot registers exactly with the opening in the bottom of the curved coin slot or guide 22 upon the top of the containing-box 23, both of the slots being of dimensions suited to the size of the coin which it is desired the purchasershould use.

\Vhen the device is in its normal position-- that is, with the disk-valve 5 closedthe slot 21 stands directly over the notch 24 in the lower disk 20. When the coin is dropped into the curved slot or guide 22, it drops into the slots 21 and 24, being stopped by the small bracket 25, extending from the wall of tank 2. In this position the coin stands as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, half of it being in the upper slot 21 and half in the lower slot- 21.

5 The handle 19 may nowbe turned until the lug 26 upon disk 17 comes against stop27. In doing so the coin forms a tenon between the disks 17 and 20, and hence the stem to which the plug 16 and the cam 14 are secured is also IO turned when the handle is operated, thus closing the faucet 8 and forcing the disk 5 away from its seat. The small tank 2 is 110w filled with the liquid from the supply-tank 1.

Then in order to get the glass full of liquid,

I5 which has been measured out into the tank 2, the handle 10 is turned back to bring lug 26 against the stop 30. In doing so the coin held between the sides of the slots 21 and 21 is dropped out into the bottom of the box 23,

20 being no longer supported by the bracket 25,

which extends only part way across the slotted opening 21 The lower disk is carried back to close disk-valve 5 and open the fancet by the pin 28, projecting downwardly 25 from the coin-disk 1.7 and engaging with the projection 29 upon the lower disk 20. The

liquid being thus freed runs out into a suitable glass ortumbler.

In order to prevent the misuse of the valveoperating device, I provide the long notch in the lower disk 20, in which the pin 28 is adapted to travel when the handle is turned around without a coin being placed in the slot. In this case the lug 26 would be brought against the stop 27, and further movement of the handle prevented before the pin 28 was brought against the projection 32 on disk 20 to turn the same.

I preferably provide the pointer 33 upon the 4c shaft 18 in combination with suitable marks on the top of the box to show the opened and closed positions of the valve, and, further, I preferably provide the small air-tube 31 to afford an inlet of air to the tank 2, so that 5 the liquid may run freely out of the faucet 8.

The bottom of the containing-box 25 is hinged thereto and provided with a suitable lock, so that the coins may be removed from the box by the person provided with a suit- 50 able key.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, in a device of the class described, of the small tank 2, connected with the supply-tank by the tube 3, with the diskvalve in said tube, the spindle 6, the spring on said spindle, said spring 10 being adapted to hold said disk-valve normally closed, the faucet 8, through which the liquid is discharged from said tank 2, the stem upon the faucet-plug 16, the cam 11 upon said stem, said cam being adapted to engage the end of the spindle 6 to operate the disk-valve 5 when the stem is turned upon its axis, and means adapted to be operated upon the introduction of a suitable coin for moving said faucet-plug.

2. The combination of the handle-shaft 18 with the coin-disk 17, provided with the coinslot 21 and the pin 28, said disk having the lug 26 thereon, the stem 15, provided with the cam 1i and the disk 20, having the slot 24; and the projection 29, the bracket or plate 25, the shoulder 29 adapted to engage with said pin 28, said pin being free to move away therefrom when the handle is turned without a coin being in the slots 21 and 24, the Valve-spindle 6, adapted to engage with said cam 14, the plug of the faucet 8 connected to stem 15, and the stops 27 and 30, with which said lug 26 is adapted to engage, substantially as described.

3; The combination of the coin-disk 17, seeurcd to the handle-shaft 18, with the disk upon the stem 15, said disks being adapted to engage by means of the pin 28 and a coin inserted in the slots 21 and 2 1 in said disks, said stem 15 provided with the cam 14: and connected with the plug 16 of the faucet 8, the tank 2, the bracket or plate 25, said faucet extending from the bottom of the tank 2 and the tube 3 extending into the upper part thereof, the disk-valve 5, the spindle (5 thereof, the coiled spring 10, adapted to normally close said disk-valve 5 against the seat- 7, said spindle 6 extending through the side of the tank 2 and engaging with the cam, 14, the containing-box 23, the stops 27 and 30 upon the same, with which the lug 26 is adapted to engage, the curved slot or guide 22, and suitable means for obtaining access to said box, snbstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of July, 1890.

EDMUND G. FISHER.

In presence of- A. M. GASKILL, L. IIA\VLEY.

ICO 

